Quote of the Day: Rick Stafford

"One of the goals is not only to celebrate, but to focus that we are the messengers of a pro-equality message and send our message to our candidate." - Rick Stafford, chairman of the LGBT Americans caucus at the Democratic National Committee, on LGBT delegates' role at the national convention, as quoted in The Denver Post.

HRC at the DNC

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, will be hosting a series of events during the Democratic National Convention. See the full schedule after the jump.


EVENTS:

· Celebrating Diversity Reception: Monday, August 25, 2008, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

· LGBT Delegate Lunch: Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

· Rock to Win: Tuesday, August 26, 2008, doors open at 7:00 p.m.

· “Big Tent” Panel Discussion on LGBT Issues in 2008: What a Difference Four Years Makes: Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 9:00 am – 10:00 am

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY RECEPTION:

WHAT: Human Rights Campaign, the National Black Justice Coalition, Somos Latin@s LGBT Coalition, Federation of Black Prides, Valiente LGBT Latino/a Alliance, API Queers United for Action (AQUA), API Queer Sisters (APIQS) and API Equality will host a reception Celebrating Diversity, an event honoring the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. The event is co-hosted by a coalition of GLBT People of Color organizations to show support for our Congressional leaders.

WHO: Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA); Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA); Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY); other Members of Congress; Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign; Diego Sanchez, DNC Platform Committee Member and HRC Business Council Member; Dr. Marjorie Hill, DNC Platform Committee Member

WHEN: Monday, August 25, 2008, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. MT

WHERE: Westin Tabor Center, Augusta Room, 1672 Lawrence Street, Denver, CO

LGBT DELEGATE LUNCH:

WHAT: Human Rights Campaign is co-sponsoring an LGBT Delegate Lunch hosted by U.S. Rep. Barney Frank at the Democratic National Convention.

WHO: U.S. Rep. Barney Frank; U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin; Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign; Chuck Wolfe, Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund

WHEN: Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. MT

WHERE: Sheraton Denver Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 1550 Court Place, Denver, CO

ROCK TO WIN:

WHAT: Human Rights Campaign presents “Rock to Win,” a celebration of GLBT Equality

WHO: Oscar and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge; American Emmy- and Grammy Award-winning singer Cyndi Lauper; Award winning singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright; award-winning comedian Margaret Cho; Grammy Award-winning American R&B singer-song writer Thelma Houston

WHEN: Tuesday, August 26, 2008, doors to open at 7:00 p.m. MT.

WHERE: The Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson Street, Denver, CO

Tickets are currently on sale through Ticketmaster. To purchase tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com or the Human Rights Campaign booth set up on the 16th street mall in Denver starting Sunday, August 24th and running through Tuesday, August 26th.



GLBT events at the DNC

Check out the complete list of official GLBT DNC events after the jump.


Thursday, August 21
6:30pm-9:30pm Stonewall Convention Reception Renaissance Hotel 3801 Quebec St, Denver, CO 80207 Stonewall Democrats Media contact: John Marble, Stonewall Democrats

Friday, August 22
12:00pm-1:30pm Luncheon with Judy Shephard Renaissance Hotel 3801 Quebec St, Denver, CO 80207 Stonewall Democrats $30 Media contact: John Marble, Stonewall Democrats
6:00pm Colorado Rockies game (starts at 7:05) and/or Bar Crawl with transportation supplied. Stonewall Democrats CLOSED to media.

Saturday, August 23
12:00pm-1:30pm LGBT & Labor Lunch Renaissance Hotel 3801 Quebec St, Denver, CO 80207 Stonewall Democrats $30 Media contact: John Marble, Stonewall Democrats. Honoring: Mary Kay Henry (SEIU) and Arlene Holt (AFL-CIO)
6:30pm-9:00pm Stonewall Democrats Awards Dinner Renaissance Hotel 3801 Quebec St, Denver, CO 80207 Stonewall Democrats $100 Media contact: John Marble, Stonewall Democrats Keynote: Keith Boykin. MC: Donna Rose
9:00pm-close Unity Party at Track's 3500 Walnut St Denver, CO 80205 Unity Event $10/$15/$25. CLOSED to media.

Sunday, August 24
10:00am-11:30am Stonewall Democrats Brunch Renaissance Hotel 3801 Quebec St, Denver, CO 80207 Stonewall Democrats $28 Media contact: John Marble, Stonewall Democrats
6:00-9:00pm Create Change Cocktail Reception Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret, 1601 Arapahoe Street, Denver, CO 80204 The Task Force VIP $175, General $75 Media contact: Robeta Sklarz, The Task Force
7:30-10:00pm Cocktail & Desert Reception The Westin Tabor Center, Augusta Room Stonewall Democrats & Matthew Shepard Foundation $20 Media contact: John Marble, Stonewall Democrats

Monday, August 25
12:00-2:00pm LGBT Caucus Meeting Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St Denver, CO 80202; Media contact: Trevor Thomas, DNCC
2:00-4:00pm Stonewall Democrats Tea Party The Pinnacle Club by the Grand Hyatt Stonewall Democrats $25/Free for Delegates Media contact: John Marble, Stonewall Democrats
4:00pm-6:00pm Celebrating Diversity Reception Westin Tabor Center 1672 Lawrence Street Denver, CO 80202 HRC & NBJC OPEN to media with RSVP to Brad.Luna@hrc.org, HRC

Tuesday, August 26
12:00pm-2:00pm Lunch for LGBT Delegates Rep. Baldwin, Rep. Frank, the Victory Fund, and Human Rights Campaign Sheraton Hotel, 1550 Court Place, Denver, CO 80202 OPEN to media with RSVP to Steve Adamske, barneyfrankpress@gmail.com
7:30pm Human Rights Campaign Rock to Win concert with Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright and Margaret Cho, Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St Denver, CO 80218 OPEN to media with RSVP to Brad.Luna@hrc.org, HRC

Wednesday, August 27
9:00pm-10:00 am Big Tent panel discussion on LGBT Issues in 2008: What a Difference Four Years Makes. Human Rights Campaign will be hosting a 50-minute, panel session on LGBT issues in the 2008 election at The Big Tent on Wednesday, August 27 at 9 AM (MT). Panelists include: Celinda Lake, Arizona Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (Del.) and Jonathan Capehart. OPEN to media with RSVP to Christopher.Johnson@hrc.org, HRC
12:00pm-2:00pm LGBT Caucus Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St Denver, CO 80202 Media contact: Trevor Thomas, DNCC



Starz Filmcenter: Gone Fishin'

STARZ Filmcenter (home of Cinema Q GLBT film series) will be closed August 20-September 4 due to the Democratic National Convention. They return with a full slate of films on Friday, September 5.

DNC Political Karaoke

This civic karaoke campaign, designed by artist Daniel Peltz, utilizes digital media to translate a dozen Republican and Democratic Presidential Candidate addresses from the 2008 campaigns into karaoke formats, allowing citizens to reenact them at local “Karaoke Convention Centers”—i.e., karaoke bars around Denver that will feature the project. Members of the public are invited to get closer to the story of this historic campaign by, for example, performing a speech thanking New Hampshire for a win or dropping out of the race in Louisiana. The launch event for this week-long project, hosted by local karaoke VJs from Alien Entertainment, will include performances by Mayor John Hickenlooper and Ray Rivera, Colorado State Director for Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign.

All “Karaoke Convention Centers” are open from 7-9 p.m. See the list of participating venues after the jump.


Aug. 22
Rockmada
1150 E. Colfax
303-831-7700
www.rockmada.com

Aug. 23
Sobo 151
151 S. Broadway
303-778-1560
www.sobo151.com

Aug. 24
Jr’s Bar & Grill
777 E. 17th Ave.
303-831-0459
www.myjrs.com

Sobo 151
151 S. Broadway
303-778-1560
www.sobo151.com

Aug. 25
Benders
314 E. 13th Ave.
303-861-7070
www.benderstavern.com

Aug. 26
Benders
314 E. 13th Ave.
303-861-7070
www.benderstavern.com

Armida’s Mexican Restaurant and Lounge
840 Lincoln St.
303-837-8921

Aug. 27
BJ's Carousel
1380 S. Broadway
303-777-9880
www.bjsdenver.com

Cap City Tavern
1247 Bannock St.
720-931-8888
www.capcitydenver.com

Check out the Dialog:City Web site at www.dialogcity.org for the latest information on this extraordinary event.



Self-defense, violence, and the DNC

Christopher Hubble, lead organizer for Soulforce in Colorado, had an opinion piece in a recent issue of the Denver Post about nonviolence, self-defense, and the group Recreate 68, a local group organized to support non-violent, peaceful protests during the DNC. Hubble's op-ed looks at the concepts of non-violence and non-cooperation techniques versus self-defense. Check out Hubble's op-ed and see what you think.

Unity Dance '08: It's a party, not politics

The Denver GLBT community will be hosting a massive welcome party for the 2008 Democratic Convention on Saturday, Aug. 23 at Tracks/EXDO Events Center. Unity Dance 08 will connect the men's and women's community along with local and national GLBT organizations for a single, unprecedented DNC host city party.

Babes Around Denver (BAD) and Tracks/EXDO have collaborated with the Human Rights Campaign, Stonewall Democrats, NGLTF, The Center, Outfront Magazine, Boulder Pride, ATL Foundation, Hip Chicks Out, Cafe Vivid, Colorado AIDS Project, Project Angel Heart, Matthew Shepherd Foundation and others to bring you this event.

Unity Dance 08 will be a party—not a political event—so, no speeches or partisanship, just fun! Doors will open early and close late with music and entertainment by legendary DJ's Manny Lehman and Lydia Prim along with resident First Friday DJ Trina J. All GLBT and straight allies are welcome - and don't miss the VIP (open to all) opening welcome reception from 7pm-9pm, with a great buffet for only $10 more!

Don't have a ticket for the DNC?

Don't have a ticket for the DNC? Then join the Democratic Party of Denver and the Denver Young Democrats and celebrate Denver and Democracy in beautiful City Park for the Denver Dem's City Park Fest '08 on Tuesday, August 26, from 5-10 p.m. at the City Park Bandstand at Colorado and York Streets.





You'll be able to watch all the great speeches and action live from the Pepsi Center including Senator Hillary Clinton, Governor Mark Warner, Mayor Frederico Peña, and many more on a giant screen and dance to some awesome local bands including:

Chuck Pyle, The Zen Cowboy
The Reals
Acoustic Mining Company
Ten Pound Elephant

And there will be some VERY special guests and local bigwigs. For more information visit DenverDems.org.

LGBT for Obama

LGBT supporters of Barack Obama have launched an online community portal for information and discussion about the campaign.

LGBTforOBAMA.com, is the idea of longtime gay activist and Democratic Party loyalist Terry Bean of Portland, Oregon.

"After devouring many polls and talking to friends, it was apparent that many GLBT people were unaware of the stark differences on our issues between Barack Obama and John McCain," says Bean. "I was appalled that George Bush got 24% of the GLBT vote in 2000 and again in 2004 and vowed to do all that I could to prevent that from happening again with John McCain."

The project has attracted the attention and support from community leaders, online bloggers and celebrities. The LGBTforOBAMA.com team currently includes:

John Aravosis - americablog.com
Chad Allen - television actor
Marti Abernathy - www.bilerico.com
Phil Attey - Netroots activist
Terry Bean - LGBT and Democratic Fundraiser
Vic Basile - former HRC Executive Director
Elizabeth Birch - former HRC Executive Director
Bil Browning - bilerico.com
Michael Crawford - bloggernista.com
Andres Duque - blabbeando.com
Terrance Heath - republicoft.com
Jeremy Hooper - goodasyou.org
Jeff Hickey - community activist
Corey Johnson - community activist
Waymon Hudson - fightoutloud.com
Robin Kane - community activist
Jake Kaskey- community activist
Eric Marcus - bilerico.com
Rod McCullom - rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline
David Mixner - davidmixner.com
Cathy Renna - rennacommunications.com
The Right Reverend V. Gene Robinson
Mike Rogers - pageoneq.com
Hillary Rosen - huffingtonpost.com
Michangelo Signorile - signorile2003.blogspot.com
Pam Spaulding - pamshouseblend.com
Joe Sudbay - americablog.com
Andy Towle - towleroad.com

In addition to content provided by the blog team, user-generated content will also play a key role in LGBTforOBAMA.com. "We've integrated a number of Web 2.0 tools into the LGBTforOBAMA.com platform, allowing visitors to contribute directly to the content," said site advisor Michael Crawford. "Users can engage in discussions, comment on news items, post video testimonials, and tell the world why winning this election is vitally personal to them."

Journalists and new junkies will also benefit from the online portal. LGBTforOBAMA.com provides online aggregated newsfeeds from LGBT bloggers and news sites. There will also be live-blogging from the Democratic Convention in Denver.

"The stakes for the LGBT community in this election are enormous. The LGBT community must unite behind Senator Obama's campaign," Bean said. "LGBTforOBAMA.com is a one stop place where the LGBT community can get informed, make donations and help fundraise, in a shared effort to make Barack Obama our next President."

Kathleen Sebelius and Deval Patrick Headline Stonewall Democrats Convention

The Stonewall Democrats have announced that Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will help highlight the Stonewall Democrats National Convention in Denver this week.

Governor Sebelius will be the first speaker at Stonewall's national dinner at the Denver Renaissance Hotel on Saturday evening. The next morning, Governor Patrick will speak to members at a Sunday brunch. Sebelius and Patrick join an exciting lineup of speakers which include Judy Shepard, Keith Boykin, Donna Rose, Danny O'Donnell, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley at others.

To reserve a free ticket to hear Gov. Sebelius on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m., click here.

Hooping for peace at the DNC

Melody Moezzi, attorney, author and activist, is currently organizing Hooping for Peace, a two-day long event in Denver during the Democratic National Convention.

Hooping for Peace (HFP) will unite people across race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ethnic or national origin, age, disability, culture and religion to promote world peace, as well as to support Barack Obama's call for peace and his ultimate election as the next President of the United States of America. HFP opposes and denounces all acts of aggression that are not in imminent and genuine self-defense, including the proliferation of weapons worldwide (particularly nuclear weapons), as well as the invasion or occupation of Iran, or any other country not presenting an immediate threat inside our borders.

HFP will be hooping on Tuesday and Wednesday (8/26-8/27) during daylight hours on the Univ. of Denver campus (on the Driscoll Green), and the finale is supposed to be a peace sign visible from the sky made up entirely of hoopers hooping.

Check out Playgirl model Nicholas Ryan hula hooping in a variety of novelty thongs, after the jump. It's purely gratuitous and mildly NSFW and I'm not sorry about it in the slightest.






Volun(qu)eers needed

Well, we are heading into the final stretch of planning for the National Stonewall Convention being held here in Denver August 21st -24th and the Stonewall Democrats are making a call to those interested in helping out at the National Stonewall Convention.

If you have some free time and energy and would like to be part of a once-in-a-lifetime event email or call Stonewall Dems Vice Chair and volunteer coordinator Karen Bachman at cbachman2@mindspring.com or 303-324-6281. If you have the time, they have something for you. Every hour you can volunteer helps.

The stars come out for Starz Green Room at the DNC

Prominent figures from entertainment, politics, mainstream and new media and literature will be part of the unique Starz Green Room at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Aug. 25-28, a venue just steps from the convention hall in the Pepsi Center.

A topical but non-partisan undertaking, the Starz Green Room will be both a respite from and a complement to the official events associated with the Democratic National Convention. From socially themed films and high-powered panel discussions to an online film competition discussing the meaning of democracy, Starz, LLC, the Denver Film Society, SeaChange Communications, and the Impact Film Festival have created unique, insightful programming for the Starz Green Room that provides a perfect supplement to the convention.

Get more details after the jump.


Among the confirmed participants in Starz Green Room programming are:
Entertainment figures including actresses Charlize Theron, Daryl Hannah, Rosario Dawson and Kerry Washington; actors Ben Affleck, Josh Brolin, Kal Penn and Hill Harper; actor/filmmaker Stuart Townsend; musician/filmmaker Will.i.am, filmmakers Patrick Creadon, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, Chris Moore, Morgan Spurlock and others;
Politicians including U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer, Blanche Lincoln, Kent Conrad, and more; US Representatives Diana DeGette, Barney Frank and others; New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin plus additional city, state and national politicians;
Journalists/bloggers including Arianna Huffington, Jay Carney, Jonathan Alter, Eric Alterman, David Sirota, Elvis Mitchell, James Boyce, Rebecca Traister and Ted Johnson;
Pundits/activists including John Podesta, Hillary Rosen, Drew Westen, Walter Isaacson, Dennis Prager and many more.
The program is being produced by Starz Entertainment, The SeaChange Ideas Forum from SeaChange Communications (founded by Jamie McGurk and Victoria Hopper), the Impact Film Festival (founded by Jody Arlington, Jamie Shor and Kimball Stroud) and the Denver Film Society, based at the Starz FilmCenter in the Tivoli, which is where the Starz Green Room will be housed.

Panel topics planned for the SeaChange Ideas Forum range from how high-profile friends help politicians succeed to the increasing role of viral videos and social networks in political debate, research by behavioral scientists into the mind of voters, an examination of the changing role of New Faith Voters and alternatives to military solutions for solving global crises.

The Starz Green Room will also feature contemporary as well as classic films with topical themes. New titles include:
The Impact Film Festival is presenting such films as Flow, I.O.U.S.A., Battle in Seattle, Trouble the Water, The Black List, The Accidental Advocate, and others. Most of the contemporary films will be followed by conversations with the filmmakers and others associated with the projects.
A poignant highlight of the programming will be a screening of Robert Kennedy Remembered, introduced by Davis and Grace Guggenheim, with members of the Kennedy family in attendance. The film of the presidential candidate and U.S. Senator from New York aired at the Democratic National Convention 40 years ago
In addition, the Starz Green Room will show such landmark politically themed films as The American President, Election, Dave, Being There, Wild in the Streets, The Candidate and more, as well as The Visitor and Henry Poole is Here from Overture Films, the theatrical division of Starz.

At the Starz Green Room, the Denver Film Society will highlight short films exploring what democracy means from the Cinemocracy online film competition, sponsored by Starz. The top 10 short films will be shown at Cinemocracy Rocks! a public event at Red Rocks during the Convention on Monday, August 25 along with musical performances. More information and tickets to the Cinemocracy Rocks! event are available at www.cinemocracy.org.

A schedule of programming at the venue is currently available at www.starzgreenroom.com; it will be updated in the days leading up to the start of the Convention. Schedules and additional ticketing information is available at www.seachangecom.com and www.impactfilmfestival.org.

Because the Starz FilmCenter is within the security perimeter of the convention center, and has very limited seating capacity, attendance at the Starz Green Room will be limited to credentialed convention attendees and VIP guests. Most of the events at the Starz Green Room will be held mornings through early afternoons, concluding each day at 6 p.m. MDT

For those unable to attend, the Starz Green Room is also a virtual event, with many of the panel discussions, Q&As and more set to be webcast at the www.starzgreenroom.com website. This will enable interested viewers with broadband connections to share in the excitement and compelling dialog of the Starz Green Room, live or on a time-shifted basis.




Rage Against the Machine to rock out at the Denver Coliseum to 'End the War'

Rage Against the Machine has joined forces with the Iraq Veterans Against the War and Tent State University to perform as part of the "Tent State Music Festival to End the War" on Wednesday, August 27 at the Denver Coliseum. They will join the Flobots, The Coup, State Radio, and Wayne Kramer. Doors open at 9:30 AM, show begins at 11:00 AM.

Tickets are free and available by lottery. Sign up for the lottery, with a valid photo ID (person must be present) at Tent State University at Cuernavaca Park between 11AM and 6:30 PM (look for the Tent State Music Festival booth near the IVAW Tower) Sunday, August 24 through Tuesday, August 26 during the D.N.C. Winners will be notified by email Tuesday evening, August 26.

Go to TentState.org for more info.

Matthew Shepard Foundation to hold DNC Cocktails and Dessert Reception - politics have never been so delicious

The Matthew Shepard Foundation is proud to announce its Cocktails & Dessert Reception being held in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention. The event will be held August 23 at the Westin Tabor Center and is being co-sponsored by the National Stonewall Democrats. The event will include special remarks by Judy Shepard, Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and a musical performance by Randi Driscoll.



The Foundation hopes to educate delegates about the import work it is engaged in and to allow them to learn more about what they can do in the fight to replace hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance. For more information or to RSVP visit MatthewShepard.org.

News of the gay world

Democratic platform 'strongest ever' on gay rights - via The Washington Blade

Olympic athletes not coming out in droves - via Southern Voice

Less than 1% of worldwide HIV spending goes to gays - via The Advocate

Art on the 16th Street Mall - Revolutionary Love: I Am Your Worst Enemy, I Am Your Best Fantasy

Dialog:City in partnership with Creative Time will premier Sharon Hayes's public speech performance Revolutionary Love: I Am Your Worst Enemy, I Am Your Best Fantasy along the 16th Street Mall. Revolutionary Love is a genderless love letter written for the Democratic National Convention. Seventy-five performers will join together as a collective identity, to speak the Revolutionary Love text. While the text is not overtly gay, Hayes specifically casts performers who embody queer identity. Hayes defines queer as "A self identified affiliation with non-normative sexuality". Revolutionary Love expresses both love and desire, as it addresses both the political and the sexual. Believing that our personal lives cannot be separate from our political lives, Hayes examines the way in which love exists in opposition of and a solution to war.

Hayes's work approach often implements artistic and academic practices such as theater, film, anthropology, linguistics and journalism. In Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) Screeds #13, 16, 20, & 29 Hayes performed a re-speaking of each of the four audio tapes made by Patty Hearst and the SLA during the kidnapping of Hearst in 1974. Hayes partially memorized the transcript of the tapes, and then gave copies of the transcripts to audience members, who would correct her and feed her lines when needed. The Symbionese Liberation Army like Revolutionary Love, investigates language and the many levels of address found in each text as well as audience.

Hayes received her B.A. in sociology/anthropology from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME; and her M.F.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, CA. She has exhibited at Art-in-General, New York, NY; The Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow, Scotland; Vera List Center for Arts and Politics, New York, NY; La Rebeca, Bogata, Columbia. Hayes received the MacDowell Colony Fellowship and the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship (1999) and is currently a faculty member at Cooper Union in the School of Art.

DNC Dialog: City Schedule of Events

The Denver Office of Cultural Affairs will present Dialog:City: An Event Converging Art, Democracy and Digital Media, an official public program of the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee, August 21 through August 29.

World-renowned artists, ranging from a MacArthur Fellow to a leading “green” design faculty member, will come together to create a series of innovative commissioned works in conjunction with local organizations. Events and exhibitions will take place at locations throughout the city.


Dialog:City artists include:
· Charlie Cannon and students from the Rhode Island School of Design Innovation Studios (representing numerous states/countries)
· Minsuk Cho (South Korea)
· R. Luke Dubois (New York)
· Ann Hamilton (Ohio)
· Sharon Hayes (New York)
· Lynn Hershman Leeson (California)
· D.J. Spooky, a.k.a. Paul Miller (New York)
· Daniel Peltz (Rhode Island)
· spurse collective (representing numerous states/countries)
· Krzysztof Wodiczko (Poland/United States)

Dialog:City events include:
Dialog:Denver
Opening Reception
Robischon Gallery
1740 Wazee St.
Aug. 21, 6-8pm
Robischon Gallery presents a group exhibition featuring works by Dialog:City commissioned artists and 16 noted local artists: Jack Balas, Zach Burk, Albert Chong, Francoise Duresse, Gary Emrich, Chuck Forsman, Carlos Fresquez, Jill Hadley Hooper, Jerry Kunkel, Terry Maker, Sarah McKenzie, Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Kevin O’Connell, Bruce Price, Floyd Tunson and Rebecca Vaughan. The exhibition will run August 16 through September 20. Through a collaboration between Dialog:City and The UnConvention, these Colorado artists will also be part of The Unconvention’s My Yard, Our Message project during the Republican National Convention.

The Karaoke Convention ’08
Launch Event
Supreme Court Café & Nightclub
1550 Court Pl.
Aug. 21, 8-11pm
This civic karaoke campaign, designed by artist Daniel Peltz, utilizes digital media to translate a dozen Republican and Democratic Presidential Candidate addresses from the 2008 campaigns into karaoke formats, allowing citizens to reenact them at local “Karaoke Convention Centers”—i.e., karaoke bars around Denver that will feature the project. Members of the public are invited to get closer to the story of this historic campaign by, for example, performing a speech thanking New Hampshire for a win or dropping out of the race in Louisiana. The launch event for this week-long project, hosted by local karaoke VJs from Alien Entertainment, will include performances by Mayor John Hickenlooper, Congressman Mark Udall, State Senator Joan Fitz-Gerald and Ray Rivera, Colorado State Director for Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign. A list of “Karaoke Convention Centers” will be available soon at www.dialogcity.org. To participate in presenting The Karaoke Convention ’08 at your establishment, contact Kathy Knaus at kathykaraoke08@gmail.com or 303-717-6735 and Alien Entertainment at 303-960-7647.

The Veteran Vehicle Project
Opening Event
14th St. and Grant St.
Aug. 22, 8:30-10pm
Krzysztof Wodiczko premieres the Veteran Vehicle Project, a new media sculpture that transforms a Humvee into a traveling media projection vehicle, telling the stories of Denver homeless veterans. Working collaboratively with more than 40 Denver-based veterans, Wodiczko’s multimedia project will offer intimate portraits of their experience through audio and text projection. The project will be presented at dusk from August 22 through August 26.

Air Forest
City Park
Behind the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, in the meadow area along the lake
Aug. 26-29, 10am-6pm.
This one-of-a-kind temporary architectural pavilion by Minsuk Cho is designed as a pneumatic hot air balloon-like structure that levitates by the compression of air.
Yoga Health Festival at Air Forest
Aug. 24-25, 9am-6pm
This two-day festival includes workshops, events and presentations for families.

ArtLab at Air Forest
Aug. 27, 6-7pm
A presentation of Throwaway/Runaway, a play about teen homelessness. Written by ArtLab youth. Directed by José Mercado.

Partly Sunny: Designs to Change the Forecast
Opening Reception
Denver Pavilions
16th St., west side, between Welton St. and Tremont St.
Aug. 24, 11am-4pm
Charlie Cannon and the Rhode Island School of Design Innovation Studios present Partly Sunny: Designs to Change the Forecast, a design showcase with supporting projects and events. In keeping with the green theme of the Democratic National Convention, Partly Sunny is focused on demonstrating what we can do now to address the challenges posed by climate change. The display will run August 25 through August 29, 10am-6pm.

Terra Nova: The Antarctica Suite
Opening Performance
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
14th St. and Curtis St., in the Denver Performing Arts Complex
Aug. 24, 7pm
Terra Nova: The Antarctica Suite, a multimedia performance work by DJ Spooky, aka Paul Miller, is an acoustic portrait of a rapidly changing continent. Terra Nova transforms Miller’s first-person encounter with the harsh, dynamic landscape into multimedia portraits with music composed from the different geographies that make up the land mass. Miller’s field recordings from a portable studio, set up to capture the acoustic qualities of Antarctic ice forms, reflect a changing environment under duress. Coupled with visual material from Getty Images’ vast collection, Terra Nova is a 70-minute performance, creating a unique and powerful moment around man’s relationship with nature.

Hindsight is Always 20/20
Denver Performing Arts Complex
14th St. and Curtis St.
Aug. 26-29, 10am-6pm
This work by R. Luke DuBois examines the history of American political discourse through the metaphor of vision. Drawing from the annual State of the Union addresses given by Presidents to Congress, Hindsight consists of a single Snellen-style eye chart for each President. Instead of the typical characters present in an eye chart, DuBois’ piece employs words drawn from their speeches, presented in order of most frequent (top line) to least frequent (bottom line). The result is a startlingly clear snapshot of the lexicon of each Presidency, containing a mix of historically topical keywords and rhetoric unique to each President and the time period in which they served in office.

Circle of O’s
Opening Performance
Location TBD (16th St. Mall or Denver Performing Arts Complex)
Aug. 25, 5pm
Ann Hamilton launches her collaborative work with Denver-based choirs, choreographers and composers, celebrating this historic moment through movements along 16th Street downtown. This newly composed song is drawn from the phrases, pace and spirit of Ralph Waldo Emerson writings imagining the new American voice. Live Denver choirs and pre-recorded sound will lead this unique movement through several stages.

Green Constitutional Congress: a symposium on the future of environmental action
Buell Theatre
14th St. and Curtis St., in the Denver Performing Arts Complex
Aug. 25, 6-8pm
In partnership with the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center’s Presidential Climate Action Project, Dialog:City presents Green Constitutional Congress: a symposium on the future of environmental action. Prompted by Charlie Cannon and the Rhode Island School of Design Innovation Studio’s Partly Sunny, the public symposium brings together national leaders who are working to ensure our environmental and energy future. Participants will present their work and discuss how they came to be engaged in this socially entrepreneurial practice. Confirmed participants include David Orr, Oberlin College, Senator Gary Hart and Charlie Cannon, Rhode Island School of Design Innovation Studios. Special guest Bruce Mau, renowned designer and creator of the Massive Change project, will introduce the symposium.

Dialog:City Responses
Opening Reception
PS1 Charter School
1062 Delaware St.
Aug. 26, 6-8pm
This exhibition of 12 PS1 Charter School student responses to Dialog:City will run August 22 through August 31. Local teachers and artists participating in the exhibit include Abbey Byrne, Katie Hoffman, Harry Lyrico, Xander Point-Zollo, Elaine Scheffler, Susan Vaho and Ravi Zupa. (Note: This exhibition will also be on display at NEXT Gallery from August 1 through August 17.)

Revolutionary Love: I Am Your Worst Fear
Launch Performance
16th St. Mall, between Welton St. and California St.
Aug. 27, 5pm
Sharon Hayes will gather 100 people at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions to read a text in unison addressing political desire and romantic love as part of Creative Time’s summer-long, national public art initiative Democracy in America: The National Campaign. To take back the queer agenda and forefront the personal in these fortresses of the political, Creative Time has joined forces with Dialog:City in Denver and Walker Art Center and The UnConvention in Minneapolis – St. Paul. Conflating grassroots political activism, performance art, queer theory and national politics, Hayes’ two large-scale public performances will include speakers drawn from the gay, lesbian, and transgendered community in each city. They will become the medium of her work by reciting the text written by Hayes. The 10- to 20-minute texts will be read three times over the course of two hours.

Artificial Intelligence is Better than No Intelligence
Opening Reception
The Lab of Art + Ideas at Belmar
404 S. Upham St., Lakewood
Aug. 28, 5-8pm
The opening reception for Lynn Hershman Leeson’s Artificial Intelligence is Better than No Intelligence will take place from 5-6:30pm. The subject of Leeson’s work is an artificially intelligent and fully interactive personality named DiNA, who is running for president. With her brain connected to the Internet, DiNA charismatically answers any question you might have. The reception will be followed by The Lab’s Mixed Taste lecture program celebration from 6:30-8pm, featuring Lynn Hershman Leeson. $5 tickets can be purchased at The Lab for the Mixed Taste portion of the event. The exhibit will run August 24 through August 29.

spurse collective
The spurse collective is designing a unique cultural and environmental map of the Denver metro area. This walking tour will locate what spurse calls “entanglements.” Entanglements are moments or demonstrations of large-scale forces coming together to create ecological dialogues. Whether, for example, it’s a new migration pattern of animals becoming visible locally or shifting streams and paths of water, this map will re-introduce you to a Denver that is evolving. Maps will be distributed across the city as free artistic prints.

Focus on Education
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) faculty and staff Julie Pollack, Bruce Price, Kelly Britt Webb and Rebecca Vaughan are working with Dialog:City commissioned artists Charlie Cannon, Ann Hamilton and Daniel Peltz and more than 40 students to activate the artists’ respective exhibitions. The experience will serve as real time case studies for the students through summer courses, internships and independent research.

More than 35 youth from PlatteForum and PS1 Charter School are involved in unique Dialog:City summer curriculum and programs. Through this partnership, students have the opportunity to serve as Dialog:City docents, experiment with site-specificity, take a workshop on public art and exhibit their own work in response to Dialog:City.

Dialog:City will make available education guides to accompany each of the exhibitions. These guides are designed to give educators and community members ways to explore ideas and topics within each Dialog:City exhibition, as well as to learn about the individual artists. The guides will be available at www.dialogcity.org starting August 4.

To learn about becoming a Dialog:City docent, or to schedule a tour of any of the exhibits, contact Liz Newton at elizabeth.newton@denvergov.org.

For more information on Dialog:City, visit DialogCity.org.




Check out Examiner.com today for a DNC blogstravaganza

Examiner.com has dedicated today to the DNC and every single one of us Examiners (I'm Denver's Gay Examiner in case you didn't know) has committed to posting, in our respective fields, about the upcoming Democratic National Convention to be held here in Denver at the end of August.

Head on over to read such bloggerific posts as:
Barack 'n' Roll
What Does Your Style Say About Your Political Views?
Looking to do some celeb watching during DNC week? Check out these DNC hot-spots
DNC Housing Shortage!!

BAD and Tracks to host Unity Dance '08 during DNC

Babes Around Denver (BAD) and Tracks Nightclub/EXDO Event Center will host a massive welcome party in celebration of the 2008 Democratic National Convention on Saturday, August 23. The event will be held at Tracks/EXDO Event Center, Metro Denver’s only major gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) events center. The party, aptly named “Unity Dance ’08,” is an occasion to bring together the GLBT community and supporters for an evening of music and fun.

“Unity Dance ’08 is believed to be the largest GLBT gathering on record in any host city of a DNC event,” said Dede Frain, founder of BAD and one of the party’s organizers. “It’s an opportunity to provide a welcoming social environment for all GLBT and straight allies, including delegates, media, Metro Denver residents and visitors.”

A catered welcome reception will be held from 7-9 p.m with Denver’s own DJ Trina J playing retro favorites lightly in the background. Starting at 9 p.m., celebrated DJs Manny Lehman and Lydia Prim will step up the party and spin the best dance music all evening while DJ Trina J plays retro/Top 40’s in Heaven Lounge.

Sponsors of “Unity Dance ‘08” include the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Stonewall Democrats, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, The GLBT Center of Metro Denver, Out Front Colorado Newspaper, Boulder Pride, All Terrain Lesbians Foundation, Hip Chicks Out, Cafe Vivid, Colorado Aids Project, Equal Rights Colorado, Boulder Pride, Project Angel Heart and the Matthew Shepherd Foundation.

A portion of the event proceeds will benefit the HRC Foundation’s research, educational and outreach efforts. The Human Rights Campaign is the country’s largest GLBT civil rights organization.

The Tracks/EXDO Events Center is located at 3500 Walnut St., Denver, Colo., 80205. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 before 9 p.m. (includes catered reception), $15 from 9-11 p.m. and $25 after 11 p.m.